The Moments Motivation
by SergeantFuzzyBoots
Summary: "How serious were you two?" "Well, to be honest, we only went on four dates, hugged twice, kissed once, and there was a handshake loaded with sexual innuendo." A collection of Raj and Lucy moments. Rated T.


**I was hit with the sudden inspiration to write this one-shot about Raj and Lucy, so here you go! There aren't many fics for this couple out there, so for those who like these two, I hope you enjoy it! :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

It's the first real date, one that Lucy plans to try very hard not to run away from. When he texts her asking to meet at the library, the worry she's been feeling begins to dissipate. Libraries are quiet, overall peaceful environments, a good location to sit and share with someone for an extended period of time. And he's brought a picnic lunch. And it's a texting date. She loves that. So much so that she almost manages to kiss him by the end of it. Almost.

* * *

When she arrives at his apartment for their second official date, he's acting strange. He says scary things about his cute little dog. He's aloof and macho. He's not the man she blogged about. She turns to leave, her signature move, but then he stops her, comes clean. He's feeling insecure because she called him feminine, but she sets him straight, making it clear that she in no way finds it a bad trait. She realizes that for once she's dealing with a relationship problem that has nothing to do with her social anxiety, but just the two of them learning new things about each other. It pushes her to do a scary thing that night, and she wraps her arms around him, chin resting on his shoulder, and hands clutching at his hockey jersey. She doesn't have a panic attack.

* * *

Their second hug comes when she's not expecting it. A woman in a parking lot reduces her to tears when she screams that Lucy's car was in her spot, angrily pointing out the sign that indicates this. She rushes home for cover, and doesn't want to go when he texts to see if she's still free tonight. But she musters up her remaining courage and goes to his apartment a few hours later. She mentions her ordeal in the parking lot, casually despite it still hurting inside. Suddenly his arms are around her while he sympathetically apologizes for her having a bad experience that day. She doesn't pull away or tense up despite her surprise. She welcomes the comfort and is glad she didn't decide to cancel.

* * *

They spend an evening watching an astronomy documentary at his place. They enjoy themselves and then he drives her home. Before she gets out, he tells her the story of two stars who are lovers: Altir and Vega. She hangs on his every word, not even faltering when he takes her hand in his. Her mouth is hanging open and dry when he finishes, and they stare at each other a long time. Eventually, she gains the willpower to slowly shake his hand up and down before exiting the vehicle. It's probably the most sexually charged handshake she's ever shared with a person. Her desire to dip an apple in his face increases a lot that night.

* * *

Their third date happens when Lucy ends up being free that night. She immediately texts him, eager to see him. It's a feeling she's not used to, but she likes it. They go to a restaurant and share drinks at the bar, but things go downhill when he begins to push her too far. The happiness she's been feeling with him begins to come crashing down around her, their developing relationship suddenly seeming too good to be true. With a heavy, but frightened heart, she dashes off to the bathroom.

Her escape leads to another bad situation, trapped behind the bars of a cage. She calls him and he comes, but he isn't pleased. She's honest with him: he pushed too hard, she can't deal with that kind of pressure, not yet. There's so much wrong with her, she wouldn't be surprised if he just left her stuck there for the night and walked away.

But he thinks she's wonderful. She's broken and a scary person to feel anything for, but he's broken, too, and sees the strength she has, and the good person she tries to be underneath her overpowering anxiety.

They both pull in towards the metal fencing, lips finding a wide enough space and coming together. Their first kiss. It's scary for both of them, but they like it. It makes her sweat out of her head, but it doesn't stop her from leaning back in once she's announced this detail.

* * *

A Skype session. It's hardly what convention would call a romantic date, but it remains a special one, in part, because it's the last date they share. They talk about their days, nothing out of the ordinary – at least, nothing out of the ordinary for them. They smile at each other at one point, looking into each other's eyes. They're content to do this – it's a lot better than talking on the phone and going silent when they have nothing to say; this way they can grin while they wait for more words. Twenty minutes go by before they realize the screen has frozen. Raj informs her that it's still one of his top three dates of all time. She agrees – and not because she simply doesn't want to argue.

* * *

Perhaps not the most momentous or exciting relationship. Not even always the healthiest when they can have trouble communicating or becoming more committed by meeting the other people in their lives. Still, these are the memories that run through Lucy's mind: four dates, a kiss, two hugs, and a handshake. The things that motivate her to open her laptop and write an email, hoping that, after everything that's happened, he remembers these moments as fondly as she does, and that he wants to see her again as much as she wants to see him.

**I'll include the note that in the taping report for The Closure Alternative, Raj and Lucy hugged at the end of their last scene. Evidently, that was cut from the final version, but I figured I'd include it here since I'm sure that's one of the hugs the writers were referring to when Raj mentioned hugs in The Indecision Amalgamation.**


End file.
